Buffalo Bills: Kyle Williams named as a veteran who could lose playing time

An article on Bleacher Report named some veterans who could be at risk of losing playing time and Buffalo Bills veteran Kyle Williams showed up on the list.

Buffalo Bills fans were delighted earlier this offseason to hear that Kyle Williams was coming back for another year. But as with most veteran players, the team has a succession plan in place.

A recent article on Bleacher Report written by Brent Sobleski went through and looked at 12 veterans who could be hearing footsteps in 2018 as younger players look to step up and take their spots. Williams was the lone Bills player on the list.

The selection of Harrison Phillips out of Stanford seemed like a direct move to replace Williams, either in the present or the near future. The rookie was cited by Sobleski as a main reason why he chose Williams for this list.

The good news for Williams is that he comes in as the established veteran, while Phillips will still be learning the ways of the NFL. The rookie could earn more playing time as the season goes on, but it’s not like Williams will be riding the bench all year.

The presence of Phillips should also help Williams stay fresh throughout the season. So while it may begin to push the veteran out of his role, this is a natural progression for an older player anyway. Better for Phillips to get more time on the field so he can get reps in as a young player. Even if Williams is on the field more for crucial plays, it sets up Phillips to assume the starting job in 2019.

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And with all this speculation comes the fact Williams may show up and dominate, shutting down any talk of him losing playing time due to poor play. This could end up being his final year in football so you know Williams will be playing his heart out each and every down.